|
Hon.
Reynolds was born January 19, 1942, in Toronto, Ontario,
moved to Montreal, Quebec 1947 where he lived until
1958.
In the 1960's, Hon. Reynolds began his career in the sales and marketing
field; was western sales manager for Rust Craft Greeting
Cards; joined Ethicon Sutures Ltd. (a subsidiary of
Johnson & Johnson) and at that time was the youngest
manager ever appointed by that company.
His career includes substantial experience in venture
capital development, consumer products marketing,
resource sector development and elected political
office, both federal and provincial.
Hon. Reynolds political career began in 1972, when
he was elected to the House of Commons as a Progressive
Conservative Member of Parliament for the British
Columbia riding of Burnaby-Richmond-Delta. He was
re-elected in the 1974 general election. During his
time as an MP (1972-1977), he served on numerous standing
committees, health and welfare, sport and fitness,
transportation, and justice and legal affairs. He
chaired the Progressive Conservative Caucus Committee
responsible for the Department of Supply and Services.
Following his tenure as an elected official, Hon. Reynolds
pursued work in the private sector, which included
directorships on the boards of numerous public companies,
including International Corona Resources; one of the
largest gold discoveries in North America; and hosted
one of British Columbia's leading radio talk shows.
Hon. Reynolds began his provincial government political
career in 1983, elected as Member of the Legislative
Assembly for British Columbia for the riding of West
Vancouver-Howe Sound. Re-elected in 1986 and elected
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on March 9, 1987,
a post he served with distinction until his appointment
to Cabinet on November 1, 1989, as Minister of Environment.
During Hon. Reynolds term as Speaker of the Legislative
Assembly and as a consequence of his particular interest
in the Commonwealth, he held the position of President
of the British Columbia branch of the Canadian Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association. In September 1989, he was
elected Vice-Chairman of the executive Committee of
the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, for a
three-year term. Hon. Reynolds is the first British
Columbian politician elected to the executive of this
association, which is composed of representatives
from 112 Commonwealth nations, states and provinces.
As Minister of Environment in British Columbia, Hon.
Reynolds chaired the Cabinet Committee on Environment
and Land Use, was a member of the Planning and Priorities
Committee of Cabinet, Regional and Economic Development
Committee of Cabinet, Native Affairs Committee of
Cabinet, Cultural Heritage Committee of Cabinet, and
the Vancouver International Airport Cabinet Committee.
He was also a member of the BC/Alberta Boundary Commission,
the BC/Yukon/NWT Boundary Commission, and the Environmental
Appeal Board.
Following the 1991 provincial election, Hon. Reynolds
moved to Scottsdale, Arizona where he resided from
1992 to 1996. During that four-year period he was
President of a Venture Capital Company, involved in
numerous projects.
In 1997, Hon. Reynolds returned to British Columbia
and on June 2, 1997, he was again elected to the House
of Commons as a Reform Party Member of Parliament
for the riding of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast. He
was appointed on June 20, 1997, to the 'shadow cabinet'
of the Official Opposition as Critic for Citizenship
and Immigration. One year later, in June 1998, he
took over as Chief Opposition Critic for Fisheries
and Oceans and on August 31, 1998, Hon. Reynolds was
asked to take over the Justice portfolio as Chief
Opposition Critic. On August 1, 2000, the new leader
of the Canadian Alliance, Stockwell Day, appointed
Hon. Reynolds Chief Opposition Whip. In this capacity,
Hon. Reynolds was a member of the Procedure and House
Affairs Committee, and a member of the Board of Internal
Economy, which manages the budget of the House of
Commons. On November 27, 2000, Hon. Reynolds was re-elected
by the electorate of West Vancouver – Sunshine
Coast for a second term and was re-appointed as Chief
Opposition Whip. In January 2001, Hon. Reynolds was
appointed as the Official Opposition House Leader.
In December 2001, Hon. Reynolds was elected Leader
of the Opposition in the House of Commons by the Canadian
Alliance Caucus, and Leader of the Canadian Alliance
by the national council of the Canadian Alliance Party.
On May 13, 2002, after Stephen Harper’s election
as Member of Parliament in Calgary Southwest, Hon.
Harper became the Leader of the Opposition and appointed
Hon. Reynolds as the Official Opposition House Leader.
In January 2004, he resigned that position to become
Co-chair of the Stephen Harper Leadership Campaign.
Following Hon. Harper’s successful bid to become
Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Hon. Reynolds
was again appointed Official Opposition House Leader
on March 22, 2004.
Hon. Reynolds was vice-chair of the Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association and vice-chair of the Canada/UK Parliamentary
Association.
John was re-elected in the June 28, 2004 general election.
Shortly after the election Stephen Harper appointed
Hon. Reynolds as the Official Opposition House Leader
and Critic for Sports. On January 24, 2005, Hon. Reynolds
stepped aside as Official Opposition House Leader
after deciding not to seek re-election.
John served as co-chair of the successful national
Conservative Party campaign for the January 23, 2006
federal election, in which Stephen Harper was elected
the Prime Minister of Canada.
Hon. Reynolds’ community activities have included
being a founding member and chairman of the Gordie
Howe Foundation for Disabled Athletes, member of the
International Churchill Society, and he served as
a member of the Board of Governors for the 1994 Victoria
Commonwealth Games Society. He was awarded the Queens
Medal in 1978, 2002 and 2012.
Hon.
Reynolds was appointed as a member of the Queen's
Privy Council for Canada on February 6, 2006. In March
2006, John was appointed as a Senior Strategic Advisor
to McMillan LLP in Vancouver.
He
is married to Yvonne and they have seven children
and fifteen grandchildren and one great granddaughter.
View Biography in Chinese
|
|